HERBERHOLZ: Woodland wrestling has assembled a fine coaching staff

We all know about the Dream Team, America's version of real-life superheroes. That combination of basketball talent which made up the 1992 U.S. Olympic men's basketball squad was arguably matched this past summer by another U.S. Olympic men's team in the most recent reincarnation of sports excellence coming together for a common goal.

Closer to home, there may be a coaching answer to Jordan & Co. or Lebron & Co. -- the staff of this season's Woodland wrestling team.

Wolves coach Jess Hernandez ignited the conversation by saying, "We've assembled the best group of assistant coaches that Woodland wrestling has ever had. Basically, they are our not-so-secret weapon here in town."

Hernandez then waxed poetic about the nine-man support crew, ranging from two-time Wolves captain Curtis Lawrence to two 1974 state-ranked wrestlers, Willie Morales and Dave Andratti.

The man currently at Woodland's helm said he has been involved in local wrestling for 40 years and hasn't seen a cast of coaches with so many state medals.

"For whatever reason, these things are lining up," Hernandez said. "These people are making the time, and this is happening now."

And not because Hernandez is providing compensation.

"All of those guys (are participating) with no guarentee of a nickel," he said, adding that two assistants received a stipend last season. "I've got all of these guys basically willing to do it for nothing. Really it costs them money to be coaches, considering travel and all."

Certainly the staff must be getting benefits beside financial, as are the current Wolves wrestlers.

"These kids have been exposed to a ton of talent in the assistant coaching staff," Hernandez said. "It helps them tremendously."

Never short on modesty, Hernandez noted four people in town who could be better suited for leading a team than he is -- naming Ron Baldwin (coach from 1972-1984), Eric Weiss (two-time state champion and NCAA Division I champ), Mark Loomis (two-time state champion and junior college champ) and Casey Nolan (top finisher at state meets). But Hernandez is quietly proud of his ability to unite the nine that make up the current staff.

That list begins with Lawrence, Morales and Andratti, but continues on.

There are Marcus Kindelt and Michael Lopez, who like Lawrence are 2012 Woodland graduates. According to Hernandez, Kindelt has a knack for coaching, while Lopez qualified for the state meet a year ago.

There's another recent local alum is Max Tsutsui, Pioneer High's MVP from 2011 who is currently competing at Sac City.

Additionally, Morales and Andratti are not the only pre-Millennium veterans. John Ellis was eight in the state in 1994.

The cast is rounded out with Dan Howe, a former freestyle state medalist for Castro Valley High, and Lester Foster, a former Lincoln High wrestler who once finished fifth in the state.

While Hernandez doesn't cry out for credit, saying "some gave me a call, some I recruited," he's brought wrestlers like Curtis and Kindelt into the fold after coaching them since they were in seventh grade.

"I tell the kids all the time (to appreciate this staff)," Hernandez said. "Assistant coaches are the reason we've been able to turn Woodland wrestling around. If we do well this year, it's going to be mostly because of them."